


Everything

by sanctuary_for_all



Series: Anywhere [4]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Cabin Fic, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Feels, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-06-17 23:31:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15472521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctuary_for_all/pseuds/sanctuary_for_all
Summary: Jack has more than he ever could have imagined.





	Everything

Over the years, Jack had pictured himself going back to his dad’s cabin hundreds of times more than he’d actually done it. At first, he saw himself going with his dad, dozens of bonding trips he’d missed because he was too busy working. Then it was Sarah he brought with him in his imagination, a fantasy bubble of peace and quiet that had never come to pass. Then he put Diane and Riley in the picture, a family vacation he’d never had the time or courage to turn into reality. Once that had exploded, he imagined coming back alone in the hopes that becoming a hermit would finally give him the peace he needed.

Eventually, he stopped imagining. Reality was good enough that he didn't need it.

000

"That should do it," Mac said, making one more twist in the contraption he'd attached to the roof of the cabin. "It's basically a miniature cell tower that uses passing satellites to boost its power. That should take care of our data as well as our service, and if I make a few tweaks to the..."

Jack let the details of the explanation trail of as he pulled out his phone, shooting off a quick text to Riley and Bozer to say that Mac pulled it off. Hiding out was one thing, but the kids needed to be able to reach them no matter where they were. If nothing else, they might need backup at some point.

When he got the notice saying the texts had sent, he grinned at Mac. "Service works like a champ. Want me to check the data?"

Mac grinned back at him, looking more easy and relaxed than he had in awhile. Jack had _known_ getting him out here would be a good idea. "Not yet. We won't have to worry about data until the next time we want to stream 'Die Hard.'"

"Hey, I'm aware there are movies other than 'Die Hard,'" Jack countered, carefully moving around the impromptu cell tower so he could sit next to Mac instead of across from him. He had no doubt the cabin's roof would hold -- his grandpa built things to last -- but there was no need to push his luck. "Bruce Willis has had a long and varied career, and that's not even including all the 'Star Wars' movies."

Jack's chest warmed as Mac leaned against him. Mac didn't lean on people, either physically or metaphorically, and any time he made an exception was a gift. "Speaking of 'Star Wars,' 'Solo' should be streaming in a month or two," Mac said, then sighed in a way that wasn't at all comforting. "We might still be here by then."

Jack didn't say anything to that, just wrapped a supportive arm around Mac's shoulders. He was pretty sure that the real reason Mac couldn't decide what he wanted to do next was because a big part of him wanted to be back at the Phoenix Foundation, but he wasn't planning on bringing that up until he absolutely needed to. "Fine by me. I've got enough savings to last us awhile."

"You mean _we_ have enough savings," Mac corrected, lifting his head to give Jack a pointed look. "I'll have Riley lock you out of your account if you try to pay for more than half of any of this."

"A good Texas boy doesn't trust banks anyway." Jack exaggerated his drawl. "A roll of cash stuffed under the bedroll works just fine."

Mac's exasperated noise was more amused than anything else, and even though he rolled his eyes his lips were already curving back upward. "That, _I_ can just steal." He turned Jack's head enough to steal a long, lingering kiss.

When they finally broke apart, Jack was dizzy in the best way. "You've already got my heart, darlin,'" he murmured. "Feel free to take anything else you want."

Mac's expression softened helplessly. "I'm more worried about making sure _you_ get enough." He rubbed a hand along Jack's leg. "Have you figured out what you want to do yet?"

An easy, dirty joke floated up at the back of his mind, but he dismissed it and opted for simple honesty instead. "I told you, I've got exactly three things on my life checklist -- be with you, talk to Riley, and make sure neither of you got yourselves killed. I'm good."

Mac's brow lowered. "But you can have more than that. We can move to the cabin permanently if that's what you want, though we'll both have to find jobs eventually and that might make the commute tough."

Jack gave the matter a moment of serious thought, then shook his head. "Nah. I love it out here, but I'd get bored before too long."

"Okay, then." Mac nodded like they'd just come up with step one of a plan. "If you have _any_ idea what you want to do for a living, you can pick a city and I'll finally make myself sign up for the classes I need to finish my degree."

Jack sighed, knowing Mac wasn't going to like his answer. "I haven't thought about it. I was just planning on finding something wherever _you_ ended up."

Mac poked him in the thigh. "I told you, Jack. You already spent years following me around. Now it's your turn to get to do what you want."

Jack thought about joining the Army as a kid fresh out of high school, yearning for something he couldn't even put a name to. He thought he'd found it when he'd made Delta, but it hadn't been all that long before the restlessness came back. He'd signed up for the CIA, thinking he needed to go bigger, and while it had helped him bury the ache it never really went away. It had still been there with Sarah, then Diane and Riley, and Jack had finally decided that a piece inside him must just be missing.

For Mac, though, he'd phrase it differently. "I've spent my whole life chasing the horizon," he said quietly. "Trying to find the one thing that would settle me down inside and tell me that I'd made it to wherever I was supposed to be. Never had any idea what it was, but I was sure I'd know it when I got there."

"We can keep looking." Mac's voice had gentled. "You're capable of _so_ much, Jack, even though you can't see it sometimes."

Jack's chest tightened at the absolute faith in Mac's voice. "I already found it," he said softly. "See, there was this smart-ass bomb tech I got stuck working with in Afghanistan."

Mac's expression turned fragile, along with that same hint of surprise like he still didn't quite expect to hear things like that. His eyes, though, held enough emotion that it made Jack lose his breath a little. "Well, there was this asshole overwatch _I_ worked with in Afghanistan that made me finally realize what home was supposed to feel like. He deserves all the best things the world has to give him, and it's kind of annoying sometimes that he's so bad at accepting it."

Jack swallowed past the lump in his throat. He wasn't anywhere near the man Mac thought he was, but he hoped like hell Mac never figured that out. "You could try persuading me," he breathed, knowing he'd never find the right words for everything he was feeling. "I think kisses might work."

Mac's smile was slow and easy. "I keep trying," he murmured back. "It doesn't seem to have worked so far."

Jack's own lips curved as he leaned in for another kiss. "One more try couldn't hurt."

**Author's Note:**

> Come check out my [original fiction,](https://jennifferwardell.wixsite.com/mybooks) my [blog,](http://jennifferwardell.blogspot.com) or say hi to me on [Tumblr](http://sanctuaryforalluniverses.tumblr.com)!


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